Approximately 200 West African troops have entered Benin to support the government after a failed coup on Sunday
About 200 West African army soldiers, primarily from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, have entered Benin to support the government, according to the Beninese Foreign Minister following a failed coup attempt on Sunday.
The attempt was thwarted after Nigeria sent its fighter jets to drive the rebels away from a military base and the state television headquarters, which they had announced seizing.
This is the first announcement of the number of foreign troops deployed in the country, although it is uncertain whether some forces have been withdrawn since Sunday.
Benin’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, said on Thursday that some of the regional forces sent to assist remained in the country “as part of the cleanup and clearing operation.”
A crackdown is underway on those who contributed to the conspiracy, with reports that the leader of the failed coup is hiding in neighboring Togo.
The rebellious military units highlighted their reasons for carrying out their operation by pointing out the weaknesses of Beninese President Patrice Talon in administering the country, stressing primarily his poor handling of a series of “continuous deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin.”
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sent forces from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire to secure vital installations and prevent any return to violence.
Nigeria, Benin’s large eastern neighbor, said its forces arrived there on Sunday, describing the coup attempt as a “direct attack on democracy.”
A security source from Côte d’Ivoire, who spoke to the AFP news agency, reported that 50 soldiers from the country were sent as part of the regional deployment.
“Currently, there are about 200 soldiers present, who ultimately contributed to providing assistance to the Beninese defense and security forces as part of the cleanup and clearing operation,” Bakari said, addressing journalists in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Thursday.
Bakari, who was speaking alongside Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, indicated that Benin’s forces requested assistance when the coup was “already failing.”
“When we began discussions to involve Nigeria and others, according to the ECOWAS protocol, it was assumed that our military forces had already pushed back the rebels,” he added.
According to Bakari, the call was for “precise aerial support to conduct a surgical operation that targeted our enemies’ main locations without endangering civilians.”
Tuggar said that the swift jurisdictions of military diplomacy and intelligence between Nigeria and Benin contributed to thwarting the coup.
Discussions regarding the duration of the regional forces’ stay will continue, but Bakari said that any decision will be made “in close connection with the Beninese defense and security forces, who proved their courage.”
It remains unclear whether French special forces, who also apparently participated in assisting the nascent forces in thwarting the coup, are still in Benin.
ECOWAS, which is under increasing pressure after a series of successful coups in the region, is considered to no longer tolerate seeing democratically elected governments overthrown by military forces.
Bakari praised ECOWAS as “an important tool that allows us to protect democracy and democratic values in our regional space.”
The Beninese army has been affected by losses near the northern borders with Nigeria and Burkina Faso in recent years, as armed extremists linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda spread southward.
Talon, widely considered a close Western ally, will step down next year after completing his second term, with elections scheduled for April.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
